[TenTec] Orion tuning rates - Further thoughts

[Bob Henderson]

Carl

The point is that my Orion is different to other radios and that's why I 
made my test and posted my comment.  Maybe I didn't use the best words 
to convey what I found.  My Orion has a steppy/warbly characteristic 
when I tune through carriers that I consider very unpleasant.  I have 
the radio set for 10 Hz steps and the encoder rate set to Fast.  If I 
set the step size to 1 Hz and the encoder rate to Slow the steppy/warbly 
characteristic is less noticeable but not entirely eradicated.  Of 
course, even if it disappeared at this setting it would be of little use 
as tuning rate per revolution falls to 62.5 Hz and at that rate folks 
QRT before you can tune them in. :-)

I set up an FT1000MP and a TS870 with step size 10 Hz and compared their 
behaviour.  Neither of them exhibited the behaviour encountered in my 
Orion.  I then increased the step size to 20 Hz on the MP and noticed 
that it continued to feel smooth when tuning through carriers.  From 
this I have concluded that the annoyance I am experiencing with the 
Orion is not to do with step size but is something else in the behaviour 
of the synthesiser.  I postulate currently that the problem is due to a 
long settling time in the Orion synthesiser compared to the other 
radios.  The effect I notice on tuning appears to be that if I tune at a 
rate of several steps per second (30+  at a guess) then audibly the 
tuning adopts the steppy/warbly characteristic I don't like.  It's as if 
the synth doesn't settle/lock on individual steps as I tune.  Once I 
stop rotating the dial everything sounds fine of course.

The behaviour I see in the Orion synth is not common to all synths, it 
is peculiar to my Orion.  Whether that makes it an Orion design 
characteristic affecting others or means I have a faulty synth in mine I 
currently don't know.  Either way, it is currently responsible for a 
huge detraction from the pleasure I am getting from this radio. :-(

73

Bob, 5B4AGN, P3F




Carl Moreschi wrote:

>The Orion is no different with respect to tuning steps than any other
>synthesized radio.  If you tune with a 10 hertz step, you are going to jump
>by 10 hertz.  This is normal and all synthesized radios do it.  10 hertz
>does not sound at all steppy to me.
>
>Carl Moreschi N4PY
>Franklinton, NC
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <Kc9cdt at aol.com>
>To: <tentec at contesting.com>
>Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 11:34 PM
>Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion tuning rates - Further thoughts
>
>
>  
>
>>Bob,
>>I agree with you, it should not do that 'Steppy tone thing' when tuning.
>>You would think that would pretty obvious when they (TT) did the testing.
>>    
>>
>I
>  
>
>>guess they thoght it was not something we would not object to?? My 746-PRO
>>doesn't do it, and it's only a $1400 radio.
>>
>>Send your thoughts to ditsnbits, I will too! I hope they can fix it in
>>    
>>
>SW??
>  
>
>>Lee
>>_______________________________________________
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>>TenTec at contesting.com
>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>    
>>
>
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